Friday, September 30, 2005

GOP Scandal Cast Continues to Grow

(1) Sen. Martinez (FL-R) keeps having problems with his staff members. In March 2005, the Senator had to fire a staff member http://www.newshounds.us/2005/04/07/mel_martinez_memo_exploiting_terri_schiavo_a_big_joke_to_fox_allstars.php who wrote a memo on 'talking points' for the GOP concerning Terri Schiavo. Now another one of the senator's staff members was fired after an arrest because "she allegedly screamed obscenities at police and reportedly lied about who she worked for after refusing to leave the stadium after BC's 28-17 loss to FSU on Sept. 17.
"She admitted to officers that excessive drinking led to her unruly behavior, according to a police report."
http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=104860

She lied about who she worked for at the arrest. She said she worked for Sen. Bill Nelson (FL-D) but she actually worked for Martinez. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

(2) Bill Bennett, former Secretary of Education, and self-appointed morality expert is in trouble for his remarks on his radio show. Who would give this clown a radio show anyway? How can he be an expert on morality and ethics with his gambling problems? Bennett had horrible things to say and Media Matters has it all. http://mediamatters.org/items/200509300010
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/10/1/105329/697

(3) Rep. Tom DeLay (TX-R) is still dealing with his indictment. Molly Ivins has a few things to say about DeLay. http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/10/1ivins_edit.html

(4) And the rest of the GOP scandal cast: Bill Frist, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Bob Ney, Gov. Bob Taft, Jack Abramoff, David Safavian, etc., etc., http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54366

Shame on Rumsfeld

When there are problems with our armed services, the buck stops at Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's desk. He has mismanaged the war in Iraq, and he continues to do so. Service members still have not been reimbursed for paying for their own body armor, even though the defense dept. was ordered to do so last year. Why hasn't it happened? A better question might be -Why won't the defense dept. supply every service member with body armor in the first place? The defense dept. has managed to hand out our tax money to every defense contractor without question, but they can't pay our troops on time or reimburse them for the body armor. Here are some articles about Rumsfeld and the body armor controversy:
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050929081409990001&_ccc=2&cid=842
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,77956,00.html
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-iraqsafety0930.artsep30,0,5967540.story?coll=hc-headlines-politics

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Ohio GOP's Best Buddy: Tom Noe

I really have to give credit to The Toledo Blade for their outstanding investigative reporting on Ohio's Coingate scandal. Here are a few sections of the article: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050929/DEVELOPINGNEWS/50929031
'Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro presented evidence today of how Tom Noe stole from the state’s $50 million rare coin funds.

'According to a filing with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Mr. Noe bilked the two coin funds established by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation through a variety of methods, including check forgery.'

The Ohio GOP has been making statements in the newspapers saying things like "not that much money was lost" and "the workers' comp. program is in good financial standing." Blah. Blah. Blah. The truth of the matter is that the Ohio GOP is corrupt and they invested money with political contributors instead of good, solid reliable firms. With the unfolding of the scandals involving national GOP politicians (DeLay, Frist, Brownie, Ney (Ohio), Blunt, and others), we here in Ohio can honestly say, "Been there." It is shameful that the GOP has become so greedy and corrupt. They could have accomplished so much if they had not been so concerned with lining their own pockets.

Judith Miller to testify Friday

Judith Miller was released from prison and will testify Friday about the CIA leak case. Here are some excerpts from the story:
WASHINGTON (AP) - After nearly three months behind bars, New York Times reporter Judith Miller was released from a federal prison Thursday after agreeing to testify in the investigation into the disclosure of the identity of a covert CIA officer, two people familiar with the case said.
Miller left the federal detention center in Alexandria, Va., after reaching an agreement with Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald. Legal sources said she would appear before a grand jury investigating the case Friday morning. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the grand jury proceedings.
The sources said Miller agreed to testify after securing an unconditional release from Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, to testify about any discussions they had involving CIA officer Valerie Plame...

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?sid=540302&nid=116

Greed, Corruption, and Graft?

With Tom DeLay http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/politics/29pacs.html dealing with his indictment, and other GOP elected officials facing their own ethics problems, President Bush's agenda for his second term might have hit a brick wall. Sen. Frist (Tennessee-R) is being investigated because of possible insider trading with his 'blind' stock portfolio. Rep. Roy Blunt (Missouri-R), now filling in for DeLay, has his own ethics problems http://citizensforethics.org/press/pressclip.php?view=672 Karl Rove, Bush's right hand man, is under investigation by a federal prosecutor for allegedly leaking the name of a CIA agent. A former White House staffer, David Safavian, was arrested. Jack Abramoff, lobbyist and best friend of DeLay, is also under investigation. With all this republican corruption hitting the fan, who knows where and when it will end?

Some political experts are adding their opinions to the GOP culture of corruption: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050929/w092910.html
"The Republicans can't focus right now," said Charles Cushman, a politics professor at George Washington University.
"You've got this swirling set of accusations about greed, corruption and graft. This is going to follow them right up to the 2008 election. It's going to hurt a lot."

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Hard Times for the GOP?

The GOP is really getting hit hard with this latest indictment against Tom DeLay. Still on the horizon are possible charges against Sen. Bill Frist, Rep. Bob Ney, and Karl Rove. Even Rep. Blunt, http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5309531,00.html who will fill in for DeLay, has some ethics problems. The Hill has an interesting article about the state of the GOP. http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/092905/party.html

The Administration has a Heart

Just kidding! I found this story at MyDD (http://www.mydd.com). Apparently, the administration wants to help some people in the hurricane devastated gulf coast----but not too many. I guess they're demonstrating a small amount of compassion, but not too much. God forbid if this administration actually did something that would help poor, desperate, sick people! Those kind of people don't contribute to the GOP and therefore, they should not be helped. For the full story visit: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/28/national/main888226.shtml

In my humble opinion, if the GOP were making t-shirts to show how much they care they'd say, 'We like GOP contributors all the time, rich people most of the time, and poor people--not too much!'

Maureen Dowd and Stormy

Maureen Dowd does it again! She succinctly writes what many of us think.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/12752401.htm

Tom DeLay Indicted

Good things come to those who wait:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Tom+DeLay+Indicted&btnG=Search+News
The Smoking Gun has the indictment: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0928051delay1.html
The GOP has created a culture of corruption, and someone will need to pay the penalty, if convicted.

Come One, Come All to Halliburton's Katrina $$ Conference

Raw Story http://www.rawstory.com had the original story. Here is an announcement of the 'conference'---- http://www.globalsecurity.bz/conferences/past_events/katrina/092605/index.asp
The Katrina Reconstruction Summit is hosted by U.S. Senator Mel Martinez and organized by Equity International as a public service.

The Summit is designed to bring together Congressional leaders, business leaders, and relief and reconstruction experts, discussing details of the $62.3 billion passed by Congress for Katrina relief and reconstruction; specifics of Katrina relief and reconstruction programs; economic infrastructure reconstruction priorities, including energy, housing, healthcare, and other sectors; creating jobs; building small business; and corporate philanthropy.

Confirmed participants include top executives from KBR, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, L3-Titan, IBM, DynCorp, Accenture, Deloitte, Clark Construction Group, 3M, CACI, Unisys, Lucent, and Parsons, and many government officials and diplomats.

Here was the posted program: http://www.globalsecurity.bz/conferences/past_events/katrina/092605/program.asp

Looks like we missed it!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Timken has friends in high places

Ohio's Bob Ney is in the news again! Bob Ney's contributors include Timken. See the link and the excerpts.
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=Timken&txtCand=Ney&txt1994=Y&txt1996=Y&Order=N
Agency finds fault with law benefiting Timken
Tuesday, September 27, 2005

By Paul M. Krawzak Copley News Service

WASHINGTON – An already-controversial anti-dumping law that has meant almost $400 million to the Timken Co. and its subsidiaries since 2001 and which benefits the Canton company more than any other manufacturer came under fresh fire Monday in a report from the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO, an investigative arm of Congress, said the law, commonly known as the Byrd amendment, has provided financial benefits for certain companies such as Timken while ignoring others that have been hurt by unfair trade...

Reps. Ralph Regula, R-Navarre, and Bob Ney, R-Heath, also have supported the law in the past. A spokesman for Ney said he still strongly backs the law. Regula was unavailable to react to the GAO report.

FYI: Timken also contributed to Regula:
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=Timken&txtCand=Regula&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

THE GOP: Not a success story

1. Sen. Frist is in involved in some unpleasantness with his stock sale of HCA. People and the SEC are taking notice.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CNBCTV/Promos/P130869.asp

2. Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18:R) accused of intimidation:
"A trio of West Virginia radio talk show hosts claim St. Clairsville GOP Rep. Bob Ney tried to intimidate them after they read newspaper stories on the air that raised ethical questions about Ney's relationship with a controversial Washington lobbyist." http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1120296668121680.xml&coll=2

3.Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15: R) is trying to get staffs to attract more minorities to the GOP:

'While Republican House leaders make a coordinated appeal to their conservative base this week, the Republican Conference office will be teaching district staff how to target a wide range of minority groups.
The conference office is flying in district representatives from 85 member offices for a two-day seminar tomorrow and Thursday to discuss minority outreach.
The assembled staff members are scheduled to attend outreach seminars for Asian-American, African-American, Hispanic, Jewish and American Indian constituents. They will also attend seminars with members, staff and political operatives, including Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Ken Mehlman, to discuss ways GOP offices can tout Republican achievements among these minority groups.
“Just as the landscape of each congressional district is different, so are the people who live there,” Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) wrote in an e-mail. “I hope that through the fly-in (my opinion: Where did they get the money to do this?) we can communicate that reaching out to all communities is important, not only to House Republicans but for the entire Republican Party.”'
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/092705/brief1.html

(I THINK THE GOP HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED THEIR EMPATHY FOR MINORITIES, ELDERLY, AND THE POOR DURING AND AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA. WHAT ELSE HAS THE GOP BROUGHT US? MISMANAGEMENT OF THE WAR IN IRAQ, MISMANAGEMENT OF FEMA, UNEMPLOYMENT, CORPORATIONS OUTSOURCING OVERSEAS, CUTS IN FINANCIAL AID FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, AN INEPT AND UNFUNDED FEDERAL MANDATE OF 'NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND' ACT, CORRUPTION INVOLVING LOBBYISTS, PORK, AND A LACK OF ETHICS. I AM SURE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE RADICAL, CORRUPT, and HEARTLESS GOP, but this is only my opinion.)

FEMA under Brown: Failure

I've been watching the republicans investigating themselves and FEMA. Here are my conclusions: Mike Brown's (former head of FEMA and political appointee) job evaluation should include the following words---inept, clumsy, bungling, awkward, incompetent, inappropriate, and unqualified. The kangaroo GOP committee has already come to these conclusions: Everyone who is a Democratic Party member and an elected official is very, very bad. Everyone who is a GOP member and an elected official is very, very good. This committee is a joke and their findings will be worthless because it is all politically based.

Jack Abramoff (Ney and DeLay's Friend)

Have you noticed that it is impossible to find pictures of Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, David Safavian, and/or Bob Ney together in any pictures? I guess they figured that if there aren't any pictures of any of them together, there is no proof they know each other. Wrong! Their activities are finally starting to attract scrutiny. These guys may have the power now, but everybody has their day.

Jack Abramoff got in trouble a few years back, but the only thing that happened was that a federal prosecutor was demoted for making inquiries into Abramoff's deals. Who was Attorney General when this happened? Ashcroft!
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_09_25.php#006635
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/27/politics/27lobby.html?ei=5088&en=1324382306288c78&ex=1285473600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-06-abramoff-bush_x.htm

Monday, September 26, 2005

Bob Ney blames Clinton

Do members of the GOP get their talking points faxed to them everyday? Bob Ney (OH-18:R) follows the party line: http://www.daily-jeff.com/article.php?pathToFile=archive/09162005/news/&file=neycombathighgasprices.txt&article=1&tD=09162005

"Not a single new refinery has been built in this country in 25 years and those refineries still in operation are forced to create different types of gasoline for different parts of the country as a result of insane environmental regulations supported by the (Clinton) Administration. Now, as if the situation could not get any worse, Katrina's devastation has wrought havoc on our nation's Gulf Coast energy infrastructure. Forty percent of our nation's refining capacity is located in the area affected by Katrina, and many facilities have been forced to shut down due to the storm," Ney said.

"Today, I am calling on my colleagues in the Congress to join me in supporting new legislation that will take immediate steps to build new refineries, eliminate burdensome boutique fuels, and create a needed federal law against price gouging. These are needed, common-sense pieces of legislation that I will be pushing for in the days ahead," Ney concluded.

This Ney is amazing. Does he understand why gasoline must be different for various parts of the country? Would it be okay to use the same gasoline products in California and North Dakota? No. Location, climate, the population size, and other factors must be considered when creating the different grades/types of gasoline. Furthermore, Bush has been president for the last 5 years and he should be responsible for a majority of the leadership on this issue. See the link to find out who is giving to Bob Ney.
http://www.opensecrets.org

He's Back!

Mike Brown, former head of FEMA, who demonstrated his inability to work effectively during a national disaster, has been rehired as a consultant. Raw Story reported the information from CBS. (http://www.rawstory.com)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/22/national/main878583.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories

Sept. 26, 2005 6:44 p.m.
(CBS) — CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger reports that Michael Brown, who recently resigned as the head of the FEMA, has been rehired by the agency as a consultant to evaluate it's response following Hurricane Katrina.

"to evaluate it's response following Hurricane Katrina" Incredible!

Maureen Dowd had a few things to say about Bush's inability to govern: http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/12741152.htm
WASHINGTON — 'The president won’t be happy until he dons a yellow slicker and actually takes the place of Anderson Cooper, violently blown about by Rita as he talked into a camera lens lashed with water, hanging onto a mailbox as he was hit by a flying pig in a squall, sucked up by a waterspout in the eye of the storm over the Dry Tortugas.

'Then maybe he’ll go back to the White House and do his job instead of running down to the Gulf Coast for silly disaster-ops every other day.

'There’s nothing more pathetic than watching someone who’s out of touch feign being in touch. On his fifth sodden pilgrimage of penitence to the devastation he took so long to comprehend, W. desperately tried to show concern. He said he had spent some “quality time” at a Chevron plant in Pascagoula, Miss., and nattered about trash removal, infrastructure assessment teams and the “can-do spirit.”'
and....
'The more the president echoes his dad’s “Message: I care,” the more the world hears “Message: I can’t.”'



Taft corruption hits OSU Trustees

We are witnessing some political action at The Ohio State University. Brian Hicks, once chief of staff to disgraced Gov. Bob Taft, serves on the Board of Trustees of the university. Some students want Hicks out.
http://www.thelantern.com/media/paper333/news/2005/09/26/Campus/Usg-Senators.Call.For.Hicks.To.Resign-998310.shtml

'Hicks, former chief of staff to Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, was convicted of first-degree misdemeanor ethics charges in late July. He was found guilty of failing to document accepting gifts, including trips taken to the Florida home of coin dealer and GOP party contributor Tom Noe. Noe was the central figure in the scandal regarding unreported losses and theft of investment funds. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation ultimately lost hundreds of millions of dollars from this scandal. Hicks was serving as Gov. Taft's chief of staff at the time that the trips were taken.

"I believe that Brian Hicks should have resigned after the criminal nature of his transgressions became clear and, while I wish that we could avoid this situation, I feel that he should do the honorable thing and step down from his position on the Board of Trustees as soon as possible," said Brennan Howell, chairman of USG's Policy and Governance Committee. The Policy and Governance Committee has jurisdiction over any legislation pertaining to USG interaction with entities within the university, according to USG bylaws.'

There are no disaster plans!

Updated: 5:18pm EDT
If Hurricanes Katrina and Rita showed us anything, it is that there are no disaster plans. FEMA has no plans to evacuate a city. Homeland Security has no designs for an emergency response. This country has spent billions of dollars and we have nothing except political appointees in key positions for disaster emergencies. This will not make any of us sleep better at night! http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/national/nationalspecial/25evacuation.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=175c355613798077&ex=1285300800&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Now the president has asked people to conserve gasoline. However, he continue to travel to the gulf coast for more photo ops. If he really want to save gasoline, he should stay in the White House and get some work done.

No Bid Here, No Bid There

We have just had some very devastating weather on the gulf coast and now our government is turning its focus on rebuilding. If you are a contractor looking for work, where do you submit a bid? I'm sorry to say that most of the contracts have already been given out! I'll give you 5 seconds to guess which GOP-friendly companies got the work. Time is up! Here are the winners (taxpayers are the losers): http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/26/national/nationalspecial/26spend.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=7547fb3f8c9324be&hp&ex=1127793600&partner=homepage

1. the Shaw Group 2. Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton
3. AshBritt, a Pompano Beach, Fla.
4. CH2M Hill
5. Fluor Corporation

Sunday, September 25, 2005

More Bob Ney Info

There seems to be quite a lot of buzz on the internet about Bob Ney (OH-18-R). The amazing thing is that some of the stuff has been around for awhile. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has an article from January 2005 that shows that Bob Ney's association Jack Abramoff was raising eyebrows even then. http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/pressclip.php?view=82
http://www2.dccc.org/news/20050422_ney/
http://dailydelay.blogspot.com/2005/08/fec-finds-problems-with-armpac.html

http://www.pcactionfund.org/withoutdelay/bankruptcy/
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2005/04/bob_ney_cant_wa.html



Bob Ney in Deep Trouble

If your a politician, and your name is in Newsweek, you may be in trouble. Bob Ney who represents St. Clairsville, New Philadelphia, Chillicothe, Jackson, and Zanesville, Ohio, may feel the wrath of his constituents who support honesty and family values. Bob Ney (OH-18: R) has been hanging out with Jack Abramoff (Tom DeLay's best friend), and David Safavian. Now the cat is out of the bag concerning a trip Ney took that was covered by Abramoff. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9470786/site/newsweek/

'Safavian, it turns out, isn't the only one who could get tripped up by Abramoff's golfing jaunt. According to a cache of Abramoff's e-mails released last year, the lobbyist planned the trip as a favor for Ohio Rep. Robert Ney, chairman of the House Administration Committee. In a June 2002 e-mail to one of his Indian-casino clients, Abramoff noted that "our friend [Ney]" had "asked if we could help (as in cover) a Scotland golf trip for him and some staff." At the time, Ney had agreed to back legislation that would help Abramoff's client, the Tigua tribe of Texas, to reopen a casino. It is against House ethics rules for members to take trips paid for by lobbyists. On a House disclosure form, Ney reported that the Scotland trip was sponsored by a conservative think tank, and that its "official" purpose included giving a "speech to Scottish Parliamentarians" and visiting the British Parliament during a London stopover.

'But the Feds' complaint against Safavian says it was Abramoff, not the think tank, that arranged the outing, which is referred to only as a "golf trip." And other records reviewed by NEWSWEEK raise further questions about Ney's account. An "external liaison" registry of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh shows that other members of the U.S. Congress visited that month. But there is no record of Ney's doing so. In fact, the Parliament was in recess when Ney was in Scotland, so "there is no way" he could have addressed the body, said Sally Coyne, a Parliament spokeswoman. A press officer for the House of Commons in London said the British Parliament was also in recess.

'Ney's spokesman, Brian Walsh, said that the congressman "wasn't giving a formal speech." Ney "met with a number of folks over there. I don't have any names." Ney has also said that it was Abramoff who told him the trip was being sponsored by the think tank. Walsh added that Ney has offered to review the matter with the House ethics committee.

'That could take a while. The panel has been deadlocked for months because of partisan sniping and hasn't taken up any of the many ethics issues surrounding Abramoff's dealings with other members, most notably DeLay. But if Safavian is any indication, the Feds, who haven't yet turned public attention on Ney or other members of Congress, may not be willing to wait much longer.'

Here is another story about Bob Ney and his friend on Jack Abramoff: http://slate.msn.com/id/2124495/

Friday, September 23, 2005

Even more corruption!!

Since I published my earlier post, two more corruption stories have come to light. Folks, you just can't make this stuff up!

(4) HCA Subpoenaed, May Involve Sen. Frist Sales (Insider trading??????)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050923/ap_on_bi_ge/hca_subpoena_4

(5) Dr. Lester Crawford, FDA Commissioner Resigns
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/fda23.html
Dr. Crawford, who has been overseeing the Vioxx safety concerns and
decided to delay indefinitely a decision on selling emergency "morning after" pills. Dr. Crawford is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Ph.D. Let me repeat that---Dr. Crawford was a FDA commissioner and a DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE!!!!

There are just too many corrupt GOPers, especially associated with this administration!!!!

Too many GOP corruption stories

There are too many GOP corruption stories today. I hope that other people are just as shocked by all these trials, investigations, and indictments. It is so difficult to keep informed on all these republican scandals:
(1) Senate Republican fundraising committee: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050923/NEWS02/509230507

Bradley R. Hiller won't be idle while serving his prison term. In sentencing the former Republican insider, a Marion Superior Court judge ordered Hiller to help clean up the books of the Indiana Senate Republicans' fundraising committee, from which he stole money.
Judge Mark Stoner told Hiller, 33, he would facilitate Hiller's movement to and from prison to the Marion County Jail so he can help the caucus account for $146,775 in spending Hiller oversaw without getting receipts.
Stoner said the caucus must file amended tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.
Hiller pleaded guilty Wednesday to two felonies in connection with spending he could not account for while running the Senate Republicans' fundraising committee. Stoner sentenced him to one year in prison.
"You can't steal this amount of money and not go to prison," said Stoner, who mostly hears cases involving felony thefts of $300 or less.....

(2) Indicted Lobbyist Bragged of Rove contact:
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=119614&n_date=20050923&cat=World

A lobbyist indicted for fraud and conspiracy claimed he could reach White House adviser Karl Rove regarding a tax legislation and federal contracts.
Jack Abramoff, who is a the target of a federal investigation based on his dealings with American Indian tribes, told Tyco International Ltd. he could help on a tax issue because of his high-profile contacts in the Republican Party.

The boasts came out in a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee by former Tyco General Counsel Timothy Flanigan, who was being vetted for a deputy attorney general's position, The Washington Post reported.
Flanigan said Abramoff two years ago said he could help Tyco because he had good relationships with members of Congress, including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. He also used Rove's name when boasting of White House access
The White House told the Post Rove did not recall being contacted by Abramoff regarding Tyco.

(Mr. Rove is suffering from Amnesia again.)

(3) David Safavin, White House Staff member, was arrested:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19597

Last Monday, David Hossein Safavian, a high-ranking White House official and

pal of GOP powerbroker Grover Norquist, was arrested in a federal corruption case involving lobbying bad boy Jack Abramoff. According to the FBI, Safavian repeatedly lied to federal investigators in order to cover up Abramoff’s shady dealings. He not only bent ethics rules to accompany Abramoff on a 2002 golf junket to Scotland; he also used his position as chief of staff at the General Services Administration to deliver GSA-managed land into the lobbyist’s hands.

But Safavian's not just tied to a dirty lobbyist. He's also tied to a convicted terrorist and a suspected terrorist supporter. Lobbying disclosure forms revealed last year that he has been in the employ of
Abdurahman Alamoudi, an avowed supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah. Prosecutors have discovered evidence that he has links to al-Qaeda. At the time, Safavian waved aside any affiliation to Alamoudi. He insisted that he was really lobbying for a client named Jamal al Barzinji. That revelation did little to clear Safavian’s name: A federal affidavit identifies Barzinji as the ringleader of a group suspected of aiding terrorists.

and......http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/09/23/arrest_opens_new_phase_of_lobbyist_probe/

Safavian is the first person to face charges arising out of the investigation of Abramoff, a major Republican fund-raiser with close ties to GOP leaders in Congress.
Investigators frequently seek to pressure minor players in complex federal probes as they build a case against their principal target. ''You squeeze that person and hope he flips as you work your way up to the top," said Kirby Behre, a former prosecutor now in private practice.
Abramoff is under investigation for his lobbying activities on behalf of Indian tribes and his role in paying for overseas trips for House majority leader Tom DeLay. The Texas Republican has denied knowing that Abramoff paid the expenses.

"Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty."~Plato



Big Happenings in Ohio

Every state has its problems. Here in Ohio, the corrupt GOP controls the offices of the governor, auditor, secretary of state (the infamous Blackwell), and attorney general. The corrupt GOP has managed to 'control' the voting (voting machine contracts to the best GOP contributors, not enough voting machines to heavily Democratic precincts, disqualifying voters, setting up districts to favor the GOP candidates, etc.). Ohioans have a chance to reform our electoral system. How? A coalition of organizations and individuals has banded together to bring common sense to the Ohio electoral system by reducing reliance on big money in campaigns, removing the politicians from the process of drawing their own legislative districts, allowing early voting, and having a bi-partisan board of elections to oversee Ohio elections. There are 4 Amendments to vote on:
****Amendment 1: Redistricting and Reapportionment
****Amendment 2: Reform of Campaign Finance Laws
****Amendment 3: Modern and Equitable Election System
****Amendment 4: Early Voting
You know that these amendments are good reforms because the GOP has tried over and over again to stop them. Fortunately, the courts have upheld the right to put these amendments to a vote. Visit http://www.reformohionow.org/ to learn more and to see how you can help. If you are tired of the political corruption, the 'coingate' scandal, lost jobs, no new job growth, and inept state leadership, you must support these amendments.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Debt Disaster Editorial

There was an interesting editorial published in the News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Here are a few selected paragraphs.
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/12716405.htm

'The natural disaster on the Gulf Coast may soon be followed by a man-made disaster in Washington, if President Bush and Congress don't agree on a plan to cut federal spending to offset the massive cost of reconstructing the devastated area.

'Congress is poised to add at least $150 billion to the federal deficit to pay for the reconstruction program. This would irresponsibly impose another financial obligation on future generations already facing huge costs for rescuing federal entitlements such as Social Security.........

'Sadly for future generations, Washington's bills eventually will have to be paid. The national debt now stands at $8 trillion. If the deficit continues to soar, interest rates will rise and inflation will return. Future members of Congress will find themselves faced with a choice of raising taxes through the roof or cutting spending to the bone.

'If Republican advocates of limited government and fiscal responsibility won't act on their principles, the American people may decide they'd rather pay high taxes to the Democrats than let the GOP mortgage their children's future.'

The national debt is really a disgrace. I am not sure if the GOP just can't deal with reality or if they just don't care what they do. They are running this country into the ground and they will not take responsibility for their actions.

GOP: Save the Pork, Damn Everyone Else

Some House GOP members want to make some cuts to help balance the huge spending that this GOP-controlled W.H., House, and Senate have passed. With the war and natural disasters, theses GOPers want to save money somewhere, and their list for cuts is incredible. Basically their plan could be titled, "Save our pork! Damn Everyone Else!" Shame! Here is a sample of what they'd cut (see the link for the entire list):
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/House_Republican_Study_Committee_document_recommends_huge_0922.html
They'd cut part of the school lunch program, increase medicare premiums, cut fees to schools for various programs, cut subsidized loans for grad students, eliminate the clean coal technology program, reduce farm payment acreage, delay medicare prescription drug plan, etc.

When it is time to vote, I hope people remember how the majority rule of the GOP messed up people's lives: FEMA failure, tax cuts for the wealthy, poor getting poorer, and war without end.

Someone told me to go to http://www.google.com and type in the words miserable failure. Try it and see what you get.

This, That, and Other Stuff

(1) Bill O'Reilly is a pompous jerk (of course, you already knew that). Last night on O'Reilly's show on Faux News, Phil Donahue, put the smack down on O'Reilly. http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/21.html#a5055
(2) With Hurricane Rita heading toward the coast, there are predictions of $5/gal. gas. (Aren't you glad you have the SUV?).
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/21/news/economy/rita_threat/index.htm
(3) If you haven't seen Jack Cafferty on CNN's Situation Room, you'll find him very refreshing. Cafferty voiced his opinion of Tom DeLay yesterday. Scroll down on Crooks and Liars to Cafferty on DeLay: http://www.crooksandliars.com/
(4) A writer/poet has turned down an invitation to Laura Bush's book festival because of her political beliefs. You can read part of her letter to Laura Bush: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051010/olds
'But I could not face the idea of breaking bread with you. I knew that if I sat down to eat with you, it would feel to me as if I were condoning what I see to be the wild, highhanded actions of the Bush Administration.
'What kept coming to the fore of my mind was that I would be taking food from the hand of the First Lady who represents the Administration that unleashed this war and that wills its continuation, even to the extent of permitting "extraordinary rendition": flying people to other countries where they will be tortured for us.

'So many Americans who had felt pride in our country now feel anguish and shame, for the current regime of blood, wounds and fire. I thought of the clean linens at your table, the shining knives and the flames of the candles, and I could not stomach it.'

Sincerely,
SHARON OLDS

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Airlines Look to Congress for Help

It is amazing that the airlines are seeking help from congress----again. Here are some excerpts from an article:

'Just four years after Congress agreed to a massive bailout for the struggling aviation industry, lawmakers are poised once more to help airlines in the wake of bankruptcy filings, rising fuel costs and growing pension burdens.

'Lobbyists for the seven major U.S. carriers sought to coalesce their often-disparate demands behind their trade group, the Air Transport Association (ATA), after two airlines filed for Chapter 11 protection last week. Out of Delta and Northwest’s $29 billion in combined debts, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) estimates that more than $11 billion soon could be foisted on the federal government through unpaid pension bills.

'Now Congress and two key senators are trying to come to the airlines’ rescue. A spokeswoman for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Commerce Committee, said that her boss was drafting a broad hurricane-relief package that includes a recommended suspension of the airlines’ 4.3 percent fuel tax, a longtime industry priority.

'Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), a key ally of Georgia-based Delta, said late last week that Delta and Northwest’s bankruptcies had given him the catalyst needed to bring a version of his airline-specific pension bill to a floor vote.

“We’re working on getting a bill on the floor [this] week for action in the Senate,” Isakson said. “All other issues are moot in terms of help for airlines. All other issues, with regard to passenger-facility charges or fuel taxes, we can do those later.”

And.....
'Delta and Northwest have been pushing for speedy passage of Isakson’s bill since their bankruptcy became a realistic consideration. Though there is no direct House counterpart bill, Delta spokeswoman Benet Wilson singled out House GOP conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (Ohio) as an airlines ally.'

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/092105.html

Who should come first in line for help, the airlines or the people who have lost everything from the hurricanes? The GOP won't pull back on the tax cuts for the wealthy or their pork in the highway bill, but they are ready to bail out the airlines again? How are we going to pay for this? We have a war in Iraq that has cost us $200 billion, and hurricane clean up that might be the same amount. Something must change and it should not be a cutback that hurts the poor, the elderly, or the average hard-working citizen. The GOP has become the party of give aways for the rich.

GOP Pork is Deplorable in Time of Need

With money needed to rebuild those areas hit by Hurricane Katrina, you'd think that the GOP leadership (Hastert, Frist, DeLay, Pryce) would be able to devise a plan to find funding. However, the GOP leadership has proven that they are too selfish http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2005/09/21/tom-delay-wont-give-up-_n_7674.html to work on cutting the pork from their pet projects. The GOP will not consider rolling back those tax breaks for the wealthy, cutting the pork from the highway http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8894520/page/2/ bill, or re-opening the bankruptcy bill to help hurricane victims. Even the very conservative Cato Institute has called for the federal budget to be "pared down." http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/12045 Since Hurricane Rita is on a path to hit another part of the U.S., we can only hope that the GOP will come to their senses. Why does the GOP hate average and disadvantaged Americans?

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

You know you're getting older

You know you're getting older when the music in the store is too loud for you.
You know you're getting older when your doctor was born after you graduated from college.
You know you're getting older when you can still remember your family's first telephone number but you can't remember where you put your keys.

More stuff about Bob Ney

Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ney has had his name in the news again today. Ney has had some association with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abramoff-Reed_Indian_Gambling_Scandal Jack Abramoff (Tom DeLay's good buddy) and now new evidence has emerged. Here is an e-mail that has been found. http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Email_from_arrested_White_House_official_suggests_powerful_congressman_lied_about_0920.html

'An email sent by Safavian appears to indicate that the powerful Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) lied when he said he was "duped" by Abramoff and lied again on financial disclosure forms when he said that a nonprofit had paid for the trip, RAW STORY has found.'



Rep. Ney needs to know that these scandals are unacceptable. Contact Rep. Ney at (202) 225-6265 or e-mail him at bobney@mail.house.gov and do it today.

Simon Wiesenthal Has Died

Holocaust survivor and nazi-hunter, Simon Wiesenthal has died at age 96. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/obituaries/AP-Obit-Wiesenthal.html?hp

'A survivor of five Nazi death camps, Wiesenthal changed his life's mission after the war, dedicating himself to tracking down Nazi war criminals and to being a voice for the 6 million Jews who died during the onslaught. He himself lost 89 relatives in the Holocaust.

'Wiesenthal spent more than 50 years hunting Nazi war criminals, speaking out against neo-Nazism and racism, and remembering the Jewish experience as a lesson for humanity. Through his work, he said, some 1,100 Nazi war criminals were brought to justice.'

Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture by Mr. Wiesenthal. At the time, he was in his eighties but he still was able to grab the attention of the entire audience. The world has lost a remarkable man.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Taft-Ooops! He did it again!

Gov. Bob Taft (Ohio-Republican), found more undeclared gifts. http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/09/19/taft_ethics.html

>COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The state's ethics board was frustrated when Governor Bob Taft revealed still more gifts he failed to report, the agency's leader said on Monday.
The Ohio Ethics Commission also is checking on two more gifts that Taft received, but executive director David Freel would not give details and said those gifts would also not result in additional charges....

The plea agreement that Taft signed prohibits prosecutors from bringing additional charges on other gifts he may have failed to report.
"The governor of the state of Ohio pled guilty to four criminal offenses," Freel said. "The commission's found that to be pretty significant."

"prohibits prosecutors from bringing additional charges on other gifts he may have failed to report" Are you serious there would be no additional charges? Incredible!

And so it starts.....

For the last 5 years, the media has been asleep. They've let the Bush administration get away with all types of statements without questioning them. Even the Democrats have been quiet, except of course for Rep. Pelosi, Rep. Conyers, and Sen. Feinstein. However, things are starting to change because of Hurricane Katrina.

People were horrified at what we saw on TV in the days immediately following the hurricane. While our chief executive continued his vacation, the FEMA director and the Sec. of Homeland Security did nothing, people suffered and died waiting for help. The press, many of whom visited the devastated areas of the gulf, spoke out and questioned this administration's lack of response. Why were our fellow Americans abandoned? Didn't this administration care? Apparently not.

Now everyone is speaking up and demanding answers. Have you watched any of the White House Press briefings with Scott McClelland? Those reporters are finally getting to the point. (I still dislike how the W.H. press office has shown such disrespect for Helen Thomas!) The Dems are getting fired up too. Dr. John Dean, Sen. John Kerry, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Barak Obama, and others have spoken up concerning the bungling response of this administration. http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/19/katrina.democrats.ap/

It is becoming clear that the GOP is only concerned about the wealthy and their tax breaks. The GOP says support the troops, then they cut veterans benefits. The GOP says that they've made the U.S. safer and better prepared, but we now know that is a lie. We saw what the emergency response was with Katrina. With our country's largest natural disaster, the GOP is so out of touch that it is still talking about cutting estate taxes. While our country's deficit grows, the GOP does nothing to cut the pork from their pet projects. Shame!

Don't sit on the sidelines---get involved! Write, call, and/or email your senators and congress members and tell them to cut the pork, end the war, and help rebuild a future for our fellow Americans in the gulf coast! If your GOP rep doesn't respond, call your local Democratic Party and ask how you can get this country back on the right track. Everyone can do something---you could even start a blog!

OH-15 Needs a New Representative

Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (OH-15:R) is really not doing a good job for her Ohio district. She follows the party line, and most of the time that means that her constituents are third in line, behind the GOP and campaign contributors. Who benefits with Pryce in congress? Not us! (All you need to do is check the unemployment rates for Ohio: http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases/unemp/UnempPressRelease.htm ) If you search for pictures of Pryce, she is always hanging out with the GOP leaders who tell her what to do. Here are some pictures of Pryce and her buddies.
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/photogallery/031204/pages/kerry.html
http://www.pryce4congress.com/images/gallery/tmb_photo10.jpg
http://www.pryce4congress.com/images/gallery/tmb_photo15.jpg
http://www.pryce4congress.com/images/gallery/tmb_photo16.jpg
Pryce also helped author a document to show GOPers how to talk to constituents about social security reform:
http://www.yuricareport.com/Social%20Security/GOPSocialSecuritySell.html
It is time that the people in OH-15 vote for someone who puts the people BEFORE the political party.

Where was John Bolton?

In today's New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/international/asia/19cnd-korea.html?hp&ex=1127188800&en=2323686f0fc10326&ei=5094&partner=homepage "North Korea agreed to end its nuclear weapons program this morning in return for security, economic and energy benefits, potentially easing tensions with the United States after a three-year standoff over the country's efforts to build atomic bombs."
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? John Bolton had previously been assigned to work on the North Korea nuclear weapons problem, and now he is at the UN. Bolton apparently has some special impact on people no matter where he works. With Bolton out of the picture, North Korea was ready to get serious.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Ponder This

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050918/ts_alt_afp/usweatheriraqeconomy_050918194340
Former President Clinton had a few things to say about George W. Bush's job performance.
>Clinton warned about the impact on the budget deficit-"We have never done this before. Never in the history of our republic have we ever financed a conflict, military conflict, by borrowing money from somewhere else."

>On Iraq, Clinton made the following observations--the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq "virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency, no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction."
The Iraq war diverted US attention from the war on terrorism "and undermined the support that we might have had," Bush said in an interview with an ABC's "This Week" programme.
Clinton said there had been a "heroic but so far unsuccessful" effort to put together an constitution that would be universally supported in Iraq.
The US strategy of trying to develop the Iraqi military and police so that they can cope without US support "I think is the best strategy. The problem is we may not have, in the short run, enough troops to do that," said Clinton.

>Concerning FEMA and Bush's response to Hurrican Katrina, Clinton said, "When James Lee Witt ran FEMA, because he had been both a local official and a federal official, he was always there early, and we always thought about that," Clinton said, referring to FEMA's head during his 1993-2001 presidency.

"But both of us came out of environments with a disproportionate number of poor people."

And......

Calling talk among Republican senators of proceeding with a plan to repeal the estate tax "mind-boggling," Sen. Barak Obama, D-Ill., said the country could not fight a war in Iraq, rebuild the Gulf region and deal with other domestic needs while cutting taxes for the wealthy.

"We need some adult supervision of the budget process. And we need to take responsibility for this process. That's something that we need from the president as well as our congressional leaders," Obama told "Face the Nation" on CBS. http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/12680054.htm

GOP -Good at saying/doing stupid stuff

President Bush is not winning any points with his slow response to the human catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. The president and the GOP are showing their true feelings every single time they open their mouths:
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/12677081.htm

'U.S. Rep. Richard Baker a Republican from Baton Rouge, who told some lobbyists, "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

Commentator Linda Chavez, a former Bush nominee for secretary of labor, who characterized Katrina's victims as people "for whom sitting and waiting is a way of life."

The President's mother, Barbara Bush, who said that it would be "scary" if Katrina evacuees chose to stay in Texas and enjoy its hospitality: "So many of the people here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."

And the President himself, who, on his first Gulf trip, seemed to be most upset by the fact that Katrina had victimized Republican Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi ("... this guy lost his entire house... ").

It's also true, as some African American leaders are well aware, that the Bush administration failed, for whatever reasons, to heed specific warnings that a major hurricane would entrap New Orleans' neediest. During the summer of 2004, a Louisiana hurricane expert briefed a White House aide on the results of a hurricane exercise. The report's conclusion: A category 3 storm "would cause flooding that would leave 300,000 people trapped... many of whom would not have private transportation for evacuation."

and.....
'Fairly or not, an overwhelming majority of African Americans are now telling pollsters that Bush's slow response to the crisis in New Orleans was partly attributable to racial insensitivity; the latest Gallup poll reports that 72 percent of African Americans agree with rapper Kanye West's recent charge that "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

http://reddingnewsreview.com/newspages/2005newspages/katrina_causes_resignations_at_t_05_0910033.htm
Now we have word that ....."
More than half of the newly formed National Black Republican Association's executive boards walked out over the weekend, following a news release commending President Bush for doing a wonderful job responding to Hurricane Katrina.
The Washington Times buries deep in Tuesday's editions that board members had "questions surrounding approval of the latest news release issued by the NBRA, praising President Bush's leadership after Hurricane Katrina."

*I think that the GOP needs to read Dale Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People before they allow another one of their members to speak!

Another Death

Our death toll in Iraq has reached a new number, 1900. http://icasualties.org/oif/ This means that another family will be missing a loved one. At yesterday's Buckeye football game, the crowd was asked to recognize a large group of service members who had just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. They received a very long grateful applause from the crowd. We need to bring all our service members home now. If you feel that we need to continue the war in Iraq, I'd suggest you visit your local army recruiter immediately and enlist.

Rovisms

The Huffington Post has some great quotes from Karl Rove. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2005/09/17/rove-off-the-record-on-ka_n_7513.html His words confirm our opinion of the man called "turd blossom" by our president.

Karl Rove, President Bush's top political advisor and deputy White House chief of staff, spoke at businessman Teddy Forstmann's annual off the record gathering in Aspen, Colorado this weekend. Here is what Rove had to say that the press wasn't allowed to report on.

On Katrina: The only mistake we made with Katrina was not overriding the local government...
On The Anti-War Movement: Cindy Sheehan is a clown. There is no real anti-war movement. No serious politician, with anything to do with anything, would show his face at an anti-war rally...
On Bush's Low Poll Numbers: We have not been good at explaining the success in Iraq. Polls go up and down and don't mean anything...
On Iraq: There has been a big difference in the region. Iraq will transform the Middle East...
On Judy Miller And Plamegate: Judy Miller is in jail for reasons I don't really understand...
On Joe Wilson: Joe Wilson and I attend the same church but Joe goes to the wacky mass...
In attendance at the conference, among others were: Harvey Weinstein, Brad Grey, Michael Eisner, Les Moonves, Tom Freston, Tom Friedman, Bob Novak, Barry Diller, Martha Stewart, Margaret Carlson, Alan Greenspan, Andrea Mitchell, Norman Pearlstein and Walter Isaacson.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Investigate?

The president and the GOP leadership plan to investigate themselves concerning their responses to Hurricane Katrina. How does one investigate oneself? Do you ask yourself questions and then answer them? Do you look over your schedule to see what you did? Do you gather witnesses who are political appointees and ask for their opinions? Do you gather your friends and campaign contributors to ask them to be cheerleaders for your actions? None of these things would work, and neither will the GOP self-investigation. Only an independent investigation will find the real truth about why FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond in a timely manner to the largest natural disaster in our country's history.
Visit today's Doonesbury: http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/

Friday, September 16, 2005

Ohio's Unemployment

You know when you hear those phrases from politicians that the economy is growing and you wonder where the hell they get their information? The new Ohio unemployment rates are out today and it doesn't look so good.

"Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in August, up from 5.7 percent in July, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment declined 4,000 over the month, from 5,437,400 in July to 5,433,400 in August." http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases/unemp/UnempPressRelease.htm

Who do we have to thank for this increase in unemployment? There are several individuals and groups who are responsible for this growth in unemployment: Gov. Bob Taft (the golfing, incompetent governor), The Ohio Republican Party (doing their part to make sure their contributors get the contracts, and doing nothing to increase employment), Rep. Deborah Pryce (15th district-OH, and Tom DeLay's understudy, pal, and big friend of banks, insurance companies, and security firms). Note: By the way, Pryce serves on the House Committee on Financial Services which oversees banks, insurance companies, and security firms. http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=bank&txtCand=Pryce%2C+deborah&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003504
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?CID=N00003504&cycle=2006
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/sector.asp?CID=N00003504&cycle=2006

In summary, the unemployed people of Ohio and their families wish to thank the National and Ohio Republican Parties for adding to their misery and doing NOTHING for them. Ohio needs a change of leadership.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Karl Rove

Just when you thought you had enough to worry about, Karl Rove gets a special job! I found this at http://www.democraticunderground.com/ and they found it at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/15/politics/15bush.html the New York Times. Here is the important paragraph:

'Republicans said Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff and Mr. Bush's chief political adviser, was in charge of the reconstruction effort, which reaches across many agencies of government and includes the direct involvement of Alphonso R. Jackson, secretary of housing and urban development.'

I think that will get a few people mad. Our country is about to begin a massive reconstruction of the gulf coast and a political hack gets the job to oversee the effort. I just have a few questions: Is he qualified? Does he have a record of being fair and honest in his dealings with other people?

Karl Rove's bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rove
Karl Rove's honesty: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR2005090202397.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/09/AR2005090901963.html
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1412766.htm

I guess if a former Arabian horse office clerk is qualified to lead FEMA, then Karl Rove must be qualified to head a reconstruction effort worth billions of dollars.

Criticism of Tom DeLay Increasing

Tom DeLay's days as 'King of the House,' might be numbered. It seems as though criticism is coming at him from every direction: http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050915/FREE/50915007/1002&Profile=1002

Brian M. Riedl of The Heritage Foundation takes to task House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on the Texas Republican’s assertion that the government can declare “victory” in the battle to eliminate wasteful federal spending.
“This comes as quite a surprise to most Americans,” Mr. Riedl writes.
“With federal spending now topping $22,000 per household, polls indicate that 71 percent of Americans are more bothered by how their taxes are spent than by the amount of taxes they pay. The average American believes that about half of his or her tax dollars are wasted.
“The American people have a point. There is so much fat in government spending — from $300 million bridges to islands with 50 residents in Alaska to billions of dollars in overpayments by federal departments — that it is hard to know where to begin. Declarations of victory are, to say the least, rather premature.”
He provides a long list of government pork, including $350,000 recently allocated for the Rock Hall. It’s a pretty depressing read.

http://www.villagesoup.com/commletters/letters.cfm?TopicID=5800

Republican leaders have been under pressure from conservative members and outside watchdog groups to find ways to pay for the Katrina relief. Some Republicans wanted to offer an amendment, including cuts, to pay for hurricane spending but were denied the chance under procedural rules.
"This is hardly a well-oiled machine," said Rep. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican. "There's a lot of fat to trim. ... I wonder if we've been serving in the same Congress."
American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene said federal spending already was "spiraling out of control" before Katrina, and conservatives are "increasingly losing faith in the president and the Republican leadership in Congress."
"Excluding military and homeland security, American taxpayers have witnessed the largest spending increase under any preceding president and Congress since the Great Depression," he said.
Mr. Keene said annual nonmilitary and non-homeland security spending increased $303 billion between fiscal year 2001 and 2005; the acknowledged federal debt increased more than $2 trillion since fiscal year 2000; and the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill is estimated to increase the government's unfunded obligations by $16 trillion."

If we are spending all our government's money on pork projects (bridges to nowhere, handouts to oil companies) and a war in Iraq, we have no money for natural disasters and its victims.

Dr. Dean on The View

On The View today, Dr. Dean: Why did the administration wait four days to respond to Katrina? FEMA did an excellent job during the Clinton administration. Why not use $750 billion to fix schools instead of using for the estate tax?
Joy Behar said: Why has poverty increased by
17% under this president? (Elizabeth Hasselbeck is a George Bush cheerleader. I like how she was moved to the far right of the panel, almost out of the camera shot.)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

James F. Sensenbrenner

Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner (WI-5) is a real piece of work http://www.dailykos.com/ . Sensenbrenner is the congressional chairman who decided he had enough at a recent hearing so he left with his gavel, and shut off the lights. As chairman, Sensenbrenner refused to revisit bankruptcy bill to help Hurricane Katrina victims http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/13/AR2005091301599.html . And..... HE VOTED AGAINST THE $50 BILLION KATRINA RELIEF PACKAGE http://www.wisdems.org/index.php?display=ReleaseDetails&i=653526 . Do you know what we call people like Sensenbrenner in my part of the country? He is a major league self-absorbed, heartless idiot. I'm sure that the people of WI-5th district are really proud to have such a jerk represent them. Wisconsin people need to call Sensenbrenner 1-800-242-1119 or
(202) 225-5101
or e-mail the sweet guy at sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov as soon as you can.

Heartless Pigs= Family Dollar Stores

A Family Dollar Store employee asked permission to leave work to go rescue her siblings who were Hurricane Katrina evacuees. She received permission to leave, but was fired on her return. Those Family Dollar guys must not understand the word "FAMILY" in their company name. Jerks! I've never been in one of their stores and I never will be. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005509140424

September 14, 1964

Okay, I know I am dating myself, but this is important! On September 14, 1964, I saw THE BEATLES in concert at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. The opening act was Dusty Springfield. The price of my ticket was $5.95. The memories are priceless.

Coincidence? Not with DeLay and Pryce

I don't know how all these government contracts work, but I find it amazing that Tom DeLay (Texas-R) was able to get big, big money for Texas. What a coincidence that the majority leader's home state has won all this money for projects!!!
The Port of Houston was awarded $35.3 million by the Port Security Grant Program. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3352049

Tom DeLay was also able to secure money for Texas highways.
http://tomdelay.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=31834
'Washington, Jul 29 - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today announced significant transportation funding increases for Texas, bringing highway funding levels to the highest in state history.

DeLay led the effort to bring equity for "donor" states like Texas by increasing the current rate-of-return formula. As a result, federal transportation funding for Texas will grow by nearly 40 percent over the previous highway bill, TEA-21, and the state will receive an additional $788 million per year over the next five years in core program growth.'

When Tom DeLay is your friend, you are likely to learn some of his fundraising tricks. Here is an article which talks about Tom DeLay's friends and how they raise money. http://www.ncrp.org/ar0502051.asp
While reading the article, I found a central Ohio connection:

'LEAD ME TO VAIL!
The Lodge at Vail “was a major draw for big political donors in” Q1. Cong. members, led by Rep. Mike Oxley (R-OH) and Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) “have tripled spending over the last four years to host fund-raisers in Vail, financing their journeys with money provided by donors.” Companies like Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae gave to leadership PACs, “which legally paid for gear, lift tickets and drinks for lawmakers.” '

Democracy 21 pres Fred Wertheimer: “In essence, the lobbyists are funding the trips. ... Leadership PACs should be abolished.” Lawmakers and aides say “they need leadership PACs to support like-minded members of Congress.” To “get the money, they need a reason for people to attend fund-raisers” (Forsythe/Jensen/Salant, Bloomberg, 5/2).

Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (OH-15) serves on the House Committee on Financial Services. http://financialservices.house.gov/
This describes what the committee does:
The Committee oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries. The Committee also oversees the work of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the SEC, and other financial services regulators. (I guess that would be companies like Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae. Coincidence????)


Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The Failure of the GOP

The GOP controls the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. You'd think that with all this control things would run smoothly. WRONG! Hurricane Katrina changed everything and revealed our worst fears.

Bush did not respond in a timely manner. Homeland Security and FEMA were worthless. God forbid if it had been worse, what would have happened? The Legislative Branch was slow to respond to passing aid packages until citizens started demanding they return for a special session. The Judiciary is controlled by the president and he has the power to appoint. As we remember, the judiciary also assumed the power to appoint their choice as president, George W. Bush.

Now some members of the GOP are upset that people are making uncomplimentary remarks about President Bush. Obviously, these GOPers do not remember the name-calling they engaged in during the Clinton administration.

***While watching the unfolding of the events following Hurricane Katrina, I thought of a book that I had read several years ago. The book, Alas Babylon, written by Pat Frank in 1959, is the story of how a small community survives a nuclear war. The story in the book and the aftermath of Katrina have many similarities. Visit your library for a copy. It is a fascinating read, considering what we've witnessed in the last two weeks.

Bush and GOP: Out of Touch with Reality

Hurricane Katrina has caused deaths, misery, and destruction. However, the president, his government, and even his family have revealed their inability to understand the full scope of the disaster and their lack of sympathy for the victims. Why?

Many wealthy leaders in the GOP are far removed from the daily routine of taking care of children, working for a living, caring for elderly parents, participating in school/community activities, pumping their own gas, and buying groceries. If you don't deal with these day to day mundane jobs, you tend to forget how difficult living can be.

>Here are my examples:
President Bush's refusal to cancel a fundraiser, a guitar gift ceremony, a cake presentation with Sen. McCain, a talk about social security reform, and a ceremony commemorating the end of WWII, show that he is unable/unwilling to respond quickly to a disaster. These things could have been rescheduled. Instead of reading the newspaper and following TV news, he did not follow the unfolding of events on the gulf. Why?

Barbara Bush's remark about how the poor were better off living in the Astrodome shows her lack of empathy for the displaced families.

The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of FEMA did not know that thousands of people had taken refuge at the New Orleans convention center and had been there for days. If they personally didn't follow media reports, could they have had staff monitoring TV and radio news?

Secretary of State Rice saw a show and bought shoes while the gulf was in a crisis.

Tom DeLay had to be convinced to return to DC to move on disaster relief. Do you think he returned to the House out of sympathy for Americans on the gulf or for his own party's political survival?

It is time for Americans to realize that many of the cold, corrupt, self-absorbed members of this administration and the GOP do not care about us. We have got to vote for leaders who care and are able to respond to an emergency quickly and efficiently. This president, his cabinet, and the GOP majority had their chance and they failed.